LoL patch helps new players

Do you know how you can tell someone has been playing League of Legends for ages? They have all the champions and tons of skins. I remember my proud day when I purchased Ms Fortune – how nice to not have to way for her to be Free to Play. It can be hard for new players to master any champions because they just don’t have enough access to them – now Riot is changing that.

Patch 4.1 sees a variety of changes to LoL including de-fogging champions and modernizing items. However, I found the systems and new player changes to be most interesting. Looking at the 2v1 lane swaps that many teams use to shut down enemy lanes while taking quick objectives, this patch aimed to change how that would work in Summoner’s Rift:

Initiating a 2v1 lane swap to shut down an opponent should have inherent risks, like leaving your bottom tower vulnerable to early pushes.

Turrets

Outer turrets no longer gain bonus armor and magic resist for the first eight minutes of the game.

Top and middle lane outer turrets now have 20 damage reduction from champion basic attacks.

This falls in line with previous changes that were made to emphasize the laning phase of the game. I’m curious to see how it shifts gameplay and if teams are able to take advantage of the new risks and vulnerabilities.

As for the new player experience, LoL is now introducing a stable roster of free champions for new players to play. These champions will be free to use during their first few levels, after which time they will switch over to the normal Free to Play rotation. The beginner champions were picked because of the ease with which they can be learned and how most new players find them enjoyable.

These changes will be turned on at a later date, and the patch notes did not specify which champions were selected for the beginner list. I really like this idea and I think it will help new players get started. Of course, it will further emphasize the fact that someone is a beginner.

Wielding my lasso of truth, I am the combination of nerd passion and grammar nazi. I delve into all things awesome and geek-tastic. I believe people should stop defining themselves and just enjoy playing games, so let's get on with it! View all posts by Zoe →